Draw it solely in preparation to protect yourself or an innocent third party from the wrongful and criminal activities of another.

* KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU CAN USE YOUR WEAPON.

A criminal adversary must have or reasonably appear to have:

A. The ABILITY to inflict serious bodily injury. He is armed or reasonably appears to be armed.

B. The OPPORTUNITY to inflict serious bodily harm. He is positioned to harm you with his weapon, and,

C. His INTENT (hostile actions or words) indicates that he means to place you in jeopardy - to do you serious or fatal physical harm.

When all three of these "attack potential" elements are in place simultaneously, then you are facing a reasonably perceived deadly threat that justifies an emergency deadly force response. Note that these conditions may be defined differently in certain circumstances. For example, a small woman may be justified in using deadly force with a handgun against a much stronger male who is unarmed and attempting to rape or kill her. For a male vs. male encounter the defendant probably would not be justified unless possibly if he was physically handicapped, elderly, etc. This is known as disparity of force.

3. IF YOU CAN RUN AWAY SAFELY- RUN!

Just because you are armed doesn't necessarily mean that you must confront a bad guy at gunpoint. Develop your situation awareness skills so that you can be alert to detect and avoid trouble as much as possible. Keep in mind that if you successfully evade a potential confrontation, the single negative consequence involved might only be your bruised ego, which should heal quickly with mature rationalization. But if you force a confrontation, and it escalates into deadly force, you risk the possibility of death or serious injury to yourself and any friends, family members, or innocent bystanders that may be present.

Also you face the possibility of criminal liability and/or financial ruin from a civil lawsuit as a result of your actions. Flee if you can - fight only as a last resort.

Naturally, there are circumstances in which you may be able to flee but it would not be in your best interest or judgment to do so. For example, a situation that you could easily flee from when alone may be difficult to safely avoid if your family was with you. Also it may be a judgment/ethics call on whether or not to fight or flee based on what is happening to potential victims around you.

For example, a gunman may be threatening the life of someone else and not even notice you. If you leave the scene, and go call 911 and just wait for the police to show up, you may have to deal with guilt and emotional issues that result if the gunman kills someone. In contrast, if you intervene, then you may risk your own life. Remember that self-preservation, and keeping your loved ones safe should be your first priorities. Always remember to stay calm and quickly analyze the situation at hand. Use good judgment on how you will react to any given circumstance.

4. DISPLAY YOUR WEAPON, GO TO JAIL.

You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent, or justified the situation might seem.

Choose a method of carry that reliably keeps your gun hidden from public view at all times. You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed weapon. He of she might become alarmed and report you as a "man or woman with a gun". Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might maliciously embellish their story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or in order to get you arrested. Even though your jacket only blew open for a moment, giving a brief glimpse of your gun, that person may tell the police that you were waving it around like a homicidal maniac. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man or woman with a gun" is going to be a lot more credible to police than you are when you are stopped because you match the "suspect's" description and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself "is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least both the ABILITY and INTENT and is actively seeking the OPPORTUNITY to do you great harm.

Also, remember that proper concealment of a weapon is more than just covering it up so that it is not physically visible. You want to remove as much as possible any signs that you are armed. For example, you would not wear a tight T-shirt that shows the lines of your gun printing through it, especially if that T-shirt has a firearm related logo or statement on it. Also, a black nylon fanny-pack or a photographer's vest may, in certain areas or in certain modes of dress tell any half-educated person that you are packing a gun. It is also not usually a very good idea to let too many people know that you carry a gun. This fact should be limited to your immediate family and select friends who are "gun people" also. Please, for your sake and the sake of others around you - be discreet!

5. DON'T LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET THE BEST OF YOU.

When you are armed, you must realize that you just lost your right to initiate ANY type of confrontation that could possibly escalate into a violent encounter. You must now have a very mellow attitude on life and your fellow mankind.

You just lost the right to flip off the motorist who just cut you off in traffic. You have to ignore the scumbag who just "wolf-whistled" at your wife/girlfriend. If someone wants to pick a fight with you, you lost the right to respond in any way other than a kind, friendly manner while walking away. As an armed person you must be more likely and willing to avoid trouble that an unarmed person would be. You have the legal and moral obligation of de-escalating any situation that you are presented with unless you are faced by someone displaying all three of the "attack potential" elements. Carrying a loaded firearm among your fellow citizens is an awesome responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.

Remember, once you strap on your weapon, you must carry with it a great measure of discretion and judgment, along with an easy-going attitude.

Rule #5 can be especially tough to live up to- but it is mandatory. If you are the kind of person who just HAS to "get even" with everyone who cuts you off in traffic, etc, then you should think long and hard about carrying.

Even though you didn't initiate the confrontation, if you can't back off and let it go, and wind up using that gun, a jury will crucify you- even if I'm on that jury! (Maybe ESPECIALLY if I'm on the jury...)

Fortunately, judging by the behavior of folks in Alaska who have a CCW, this is not a big problem- the kind of people who are willing to attend the training and jump through the hoops to get a CCW seem to take the responsibility seriously.

A. The ABILITY to inflict serious bodily injury. He is armed or reasonably appears to be armed.

Or not. We just buried a LEO yesterday who was trying to deal with a naked, paranoid crack addict. The latter got hold of the former's service piece and put 11 bullets into his head.

It differs from state to state, and I'd strongly advise those who carry concealed to be intimately familiar with their state's (and city's, if pertinent) laws concerning deadly force, and current on changes made to those laws. In my state (Washington) you are justified in using deadly force to prevent death or "grave physical injury" to yourself or to another. In Texas you may do so under some circumstances involving protection of property. The penalty for not knowing this is potentially a life term in prison.

"For a male vs. male encounter the defendant probably would not be justified unless possibly if he was physically handicapped..."

I wondered about this. Being "normal" sized (5'9", 185), how large does another man have to be before I can defend myself w/ my handgun? 6'2", 225; 6'5", 250; etc. Kind of a blurry line.Carrying has made me a whole lot mellower, though, - I avoid confrontation like the plague.

The 5 rules will work in any state. It has a very good chance of working in even the most liberal state with no CCW carry law. If I am attacked in New York, Kalifornia, Illinois, and he has a weapon, I will still take my chances by following these rules with the law of any state.

You see, they cannot be persuaded by logic, or even by facts (like the fact that there is practically ZERO incidence of illegal use of firearms by CCW holders). No, these folks are quite simply AFRAID- of you, of me, of guns, and probably of mice and loud noises. It is not rational, and cannot be overcome by argument.

Believe me, I have tried to talk quite a few of these folks out of their fear of CCW laws- and it is just a complete waste of time.

keep talking. It is fun. Here are a few good ones to coin into your talks.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I am intolerant. I'm intolerant of evil. That's a good thing. Tolerance of evil would be evil. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Statistics show that most fatal accidents(which occur at home)take place in the bathroom.I don't want ONE MORE FATAL ACCIDENT TO OCCUR,THEREFOR I AM GOING TO GET THE GOVERNMENT TO BAN ALL VISITS TO THE BATHROOM!!This sounds pretty stupid,RIGHT???

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I use a similar tactic. . . We had a neighbor who hit us up with the "Just Ask" campaign last year. We responded with a big, bright yellow sign for their front yard. "This home PROUDLY Gun-Free". If they'd leave it on their front lawn for a week, we'd answer as to whether we were armed or not. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 80 million gun owners provided protection for their families last night. What did you do? Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Joseph Sobran used to offer his anti-gun acquaintances window stickers that said: PLEASE NOTE: This Is A Gun-Free Household No one ever took one from him. I wonder why? Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I carry in my synagogue open. The rabbi has no problem with it and even encourages me to do so. Hey its free security and I will be there before the police arrive.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "It's been a burning issue," according to Bradley DeBraska, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, who says off-duty officers worry about retaliation from criminals they've arrested. "We basically have 50 different state laws that regulate police officers and concealment when we cross state lines, and we simply don't know them all. We don't have a clue." Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Who then are this individual with such a universal wisdom that it gives them the right to veto the judgment of this intelligent multitude of 80 million gun owners? Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx There is a huge difference between feeling safe and being safe. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx You can't control the wind, but you can certainly adjust your sails."

It occured to me recently that most small women (like myself) almost always carry a small weapon for obvious reasons. While my baby Glock is a great technician, I'm thinking a piece along the lines of Felicity Shagwell's would actually be a much better deterrent. And, the laws being what they are, I'm more interested in deterring than shooting.

WE are talking here about self defense. Just flashing a gun will send 99.5% of felons running. Therefore, that last .5% where meet all of the 5 rules, and end up in a gun fight, yes take Good aim controlled breathing and gentle squeeze as poster #9 suggests.

An SC LEO pulled me over a while back for traveling many decibels above the post limit on a deserted back road. He asked me if I was carrying, when I produced a CWP. "Yes" and then he asked me what. I told him a .32 auto. He promptly went into a lecture on how I should be carrying at least a 9mm. He didn't ticket me, even though he could have impounded my car. Then came the stearn warning, "Get rid of the mouse gun." I did.

to biblewonk What are you talking about. 80 million honest americans were packing last night? I thought this was CCW.

Sounds like you are a gun owner, who is chooses to venture outside the home with a firearm. That is ok not everybody is willing to carry when they travel in dangerous areas. Only 1% carry in most states. Michigan 53,000 CCW is a small % of gun owners of the state.

Glad to hear you're with us on the Second Amendment, brother. Because, as most of us know, only a spineless, mealy-mouthed Finestein-Schumerite couldn't care less about it.

I know you are not talking to me, and I also know that the 2nd ammendment is not about the 'right' to carry a 357 into a bar or a park or even down the alley in my hood. When you say brother are we brothers in arms on this issue? Guns are not my Father.

I read last night in my new America's 1st freedom, about an incident with then Maryland Governor Donald Schafer.

To quopte the article:On March 15, 1993 he called a press conference hyping his proposal to ban 15 semi-automatic pistols.

After a reporter smiled at one of the governor's foreboding comments, Schaefer pointed a 9 mm pistol at the reporter and declared: "Some of you have never had it in your face. I bet you wouldn't be laughing. I bet you wouldn't be smiling. I don't know what would happen to your pants, but I can imagine."

Police routinely arrest people who point guns (even unloaded guns) at other people on charges of criminal assault. If a private citizen had pointed an unloaded gun at the governor, the penalty likely would have been instant death from the governor's numerous armed bodyguards. But Schaefer's press secretary later explained: "Because he did not mean it in a threatening way, I don't see that it was a problem, from his perspective.

Thanks for the info. Do either one of the pistols you mentioned look--um--sufficiently intimidating?

The Kahr might be a bit more intimidating than your baby Glock. BTW, is the Glock a 9mm?

I don't think I would give intimidation value prime consideration in choice of a handgun. I think you should think first and foremost about what is going to best do the job if you do have to use it. What is going to be good enough to do the job; what can you shoot accurately and well; what will be practical for you to carry.

Unless you're dealing with something really small, I'm not sure you would get that much higher of a back-down rate based on the size of the gun.

There's another important factor here in the back-down rate: your demeanor, and I'm not sure you can convincingly fake that in the stress of a real confrontation.

Personally, I wouldn't count on simply sticking out a big, "intimidating" gun and counting on that to do the trick. Sounds better to me to have a mid-sized gun and be prepared to use it, than to have a big one and not be prepared to use it.

You could always get a .45 -- I don't mean to dissuade you from a big gun -- but whatever you get, make sure it's not so big you end up not carrying it ("better the .32 with you than the .45 at home"); make sure you know how to use it and can use it with skill and accuracy; make sure you have down COLD WHEN and HOW to use it; and make sure you're prepared to use it if need be and can communicate that clearly to a perp.

Oklahoma is also quite self-defense friendly, as shown by the following rules regarding somebody who breaks into your home in Oklahoma (read the following carefully!):

PHYSICAL OR DEADLY FORCE AGAINST INTRUDER

A. The Legislature hereby recognizes that the citizens of the State of Oklahoma have a right to expect absolute safety within their own homes.

B. Any occupant of a dwelling is justified in using any degree of physical force, including but not limited to deadly force, against another person who has made an unlawful entry into that dwelling and when the occupant has a reasonable belief that such other person might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant of the dwelling.

C. Any occupant of a dwelling using physical force, including but not limited to deadly force, pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this section, shall have an affirmative defense in any criminal prosecution for an offense arising from the reasonable use of such force and shall be immune from any civil liability for injuries or death resulting from the reasonable use of such force.

D. The provisions of this section and the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, Sections 1 through 25 of this act, shall not be construed to require any person using a pistol pursuant to the provisions of this section to be licensed in any manner.

"It's been a burning issue," according to Bradley DeBraska, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, who says off-duty officers worry about retaliation from criminals they've arrested. "We basically have 50 different state laws that regulate police officers and concealment when we cross state lines, and we simply don't know them all. We don't have a clue."

A deputy friend of mine was assaulted at a shopping mall by some perp he had dealth with in the past. He didn't even remember the guy. Perp and his friends were armed, and after knocking myfriend down from behind they threatened his wife. Luckily, several more deputies that had been shopping with them earlier (but had left to go to another store) showed up, drew concealed weapons, and put a stop to everything.

My friend can carry concealed, but had left his pistol in his vehicle for some reason. I bet he never does that again.

Your point is well taken. While I can shoot a .45 and .357 Magnum with success, it's just not nearly as practical to carry as my little 9mm Glock with a 10 round magazine.

My demeanor is along the lines of "make my day" (I brandished once to a stalker trying to break into my glass door at home) I thought at the time he was mortified at the sight of my big, shiny Magnum as his eyes were fixated on it.

I just can't say I would have gotten the same 'scared rabbit' response with my carry Glock.

Don't quite agree with this one. In Arizona and several states we can carry concealed or openly. For example I see bikers all the time driving down the road with a handgun on their hip. Maybe you mean brandish rather than display?

For a male vs. male encounter the defendant probably would not be justified unless possibly if he was physically handicapped, elderly, etc. This is known as disparity of force.

This may be the law in some places, but it is BS. Most men are fully capable of killing each other unarmed, and some are no doubt sitting in prison and cemetaries because they found that out the hard way.

sufficiently intimidating.......tsk tsk tsk.....not paying attention to the text of the thread ?

All an agressor who is attacking you should ever see if the application of deadly force is justified are muzzle flashes as you conduct a failure drill on their person (2 to the chest and one to the head as fast as one may apply it accurately).

A scornful look or sneer or being 6 feet four inches tall and 312 pounds is sufficiently intimidating.........not a firearm brandished. Which BTW may land one in the same cell of ones agressor in most cases.....

LOL ! .......Thank You Sir ! You ever get down to Reed Knights shop in Vero Beach ?? I come out to Melbourne this X-Mas to visit my Bro and his family I'll look ya up and we'll go window shopping down there........

Thanks for the tips but I don't think a curled lip from me would have stopped the aggression coming from the 6'3" 250lbs. stalker. Nope, the only thing that shook that guy into sanity was the sight of that glistening perp plunker.

Why should I trust a citizen who doesn't believe in all the Constitution and Bill of Rights? ************* In the United States the Bureau of Justice research shows inmates serving time in state prisons during 1997 said they obtained their guns from the following sources in percentages: Purchased from a retail store 8.3 percent Purchased at a pawn shop 3.8 Purchased at a flea market 1.0 Purchased in a gun show 0.7 Obtained from friends or family 39.6 Got on the street/illegal source 39.2

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